There are many reasons that you might want to design a real estate sign. Whether you have an apartment to lease, a property to sell or an open house to advertise, posting signs around the community and neighborhood can be an efficient way to get attention. In order for the signs to be effective, you want to make sure they attract attention, leave a good impression and share all the necessary property and contact information. Use these steps to design an effective real estate sign to accomplish that.

Steps

1

Determine the primary purpose of your sign. This might be to advertise, sell, inform or impress.

2

Decide on your message. This should be the focus of your real estate sign.

Use your established purpose to craft a message that will get people to do what you want them to do, whether it is to visit an open house, call about an apartment for rent or attend an auction on a foreclosed property.

3

Consider the size of your sign. Once you understand the purpose and message of your sign, you know how large it has to be. For example, to advertise an open house in a busy area, you will need a large sign. A sign that displays an apartment for rent might need to fit in a window.

Leave enough room for all of the information you need to share as well as a graphic or picture that will get the attention of people who see the sign. For example, a sign advertising a house for sale should have enough space for a list price or contact information for the realtor.

4

Make your sign attention grabbing. This might mean large letters, a colorful background, a humorous slogan or a great picture. If you are selling a house, include a unique detail such as "hot tub included" or "totally renovated kitchen."

5

Leave a good impression. You want your sign to grab the attention of people interested in real estate, but you do not want to turn them off.

Keep it tasteful and appropriate. Remember that people from all different backgrounds and ages will see your sign.

6

Include pertinent information. For example, if your sign advertises an open house, be sure to include the date, time and address. If you are advertising an apartment for rent, include the number of bedrooms and the price of rent.

Remember that contact information is essential. It is impossible to put every detail on the real estate sign, so share your email address, phone number or website that can lead people to more information.

7

Use branding that is consistent with your company or business. If you are designing a real estate sign for an established company, you will need to include that company's logo.

Keep colors, fonts, messages and taglines consistent with your brand. You do not want to confuse customers and clients who associate your real estate brand with certain images and logos.

8

Consider placement. As you are designing your sign, think about where it will be placed. For example, designing a yard sign will be different than designing a banner that stretches across a building.

9

Think about how you can "accessorize" your sign. Some people hang balloons with open house signs, and other real estate signs might include brochures or sales sheets that include additional information on the property.

Use a sign that doubles as a box. This will allow you to hold information that people can take away from the sign or the property.

10

Consider using a QR Code. These are the black and white square symbols that you see on almost every piece of marketing material these days. QR codes work like bar codes, and are scanned with your smart phones.

Get a QR code. There are many online QR code generators such as Scanlife, Kaywal or goQR.me. These generators offer free QR codes when you follow their steps. You may have to start an account. You also have the option to pay for performance tracking information, such as how many people clicked on your QR code.

Program your QR code to deliver people to your agency's website, or a social networking site that promotes the property you are selling or renting.

Community Q&A

Tips

Consider working with a professional designer or sign company. Many real estate signs are now "do-it-yourself" and completed online. However, spending a little extra money for a professional and polished sign might make a difference in the return you get on your investment.

Use graphics wisely. Not every real estate sign needs graphics, but they can sometimes get attention. Selling or leasing a home might require you to post a picture of the property on your sign. If it is an open house or an auction, or you simply sharing information, graphics might just take up space and not be necessary.